Automobile steering device.



N. s. MAISON.

AUTOMQBILE STEERING DEVICE. APPLICATION HL'ED MN. 12. 1915.'

` 12,152,194. Patent-ed Aug. 31, 1915.

NELS S. IVIATSON, Off FARGO, NORTH DAKOTA,

AUTMOBLE STEERNG DEVCE.

T0 all cli/mm it m07/ concern Be it known that I, Nuns S. MA'rsoN, a citizen oi the United States, and a resident ot Fargo, in the county of Cass and State of North Dakota, have made certain new and useful Improvements in Automobile Steering Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improvement in automobile steering devices, and has for its oloject to provide a device of the character specified, especially adapted for use with the Ford automobile, and arranged to reduce the leverage on the steering post, and to permit a part of the steering mechanism now in use to be omitted, and wherein the lost motion between the steering wheel and the spindles is eliminated.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device, Fig. Q is a horizontal section, Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the upper end of the post and the steering wheel, and Fig. t is a section on the line .4r-4c of Fig. 3 looking in the direction of the arrows adjacent to the line.

'The present embodinjient of the invention is shown in connectioif'with the steering post l of an automobile, and areccentric wheel or disk 3 is secured to the lowe\r"end.\

of the post, by means of a key 4. rlhe extremity of the post is reduced below the eccentric, as shown at 5, and a nut 6 is threaded on to the reduced portion to prevent displacement or' the eccentric disk or wheel. This eccentric disk or wheel is annular-ly grooved, as shown at 7, and the disk engagesr within the elliptical opening of a frame 8 of approximately C-shape. At one end the frame is provided with a perforated bearing lug 9, and at the other end the frame is provided with an ex'tension'lO having a hall 11 at its free end, for connection with the usual steering link or har connected with the spindles of the front wheel. The C-shaped frame 8 is in effect a split loop, having the split at one side and extend ing parallel with the long axis of the frame, and this split is normally closed oy a har 12, the said bar fitting against the side of the frame at the split, and being secured to the iframe by means of set screws i3, which are passed through openings in the ends of the har, and into engagement with internally threaded openings 14 in the frame.

The bar 12 completes the loop, and e Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 12, 1915. Serial No. 1,801.

frame and bar are of such thickness Ythat they will lit within the groove 7 ot the centric. The lug S) of the frame is receifvc between a pair oi lugs l5 on an anff bracket 1G, and is pivotcd to the lugi bolt 2l. YThe arms ot the lracliet lit the frame 1T of the automobile and are secured thereto, as indicated at 1S, in any suitahlc manner.

T he frame S is mounted to swing with respectrto the automobile trame, being pivotezl to the trame or the bracket 1G, and it will be evident that when the post is oscillated the frame will be swung on its pivotal connection, because oi the movement of the eccentric wheel or disk The arm l0 will swing to a greater extent than any other portion of the frame. and it will he evident that but a slight movement oi the steering post, that is of the eccentric 3 -is necessary to cause thc arm 10 to swing over a considerable distance. Plates are ranged between the ends of the hars 19 and the body oi the frame S, to properly space the bar, and each plate has an opening at its outer end through which the adjacent set screw '13 extends.

In operation, when the steering post is oscillated in the usual manner, the eccen- \trie`will be rotated, and will move the Jrame swinging'thc frame on its pivotal connection with the frame of he automobile. frame l0 will he swung, as indica ted in dotted lines in Fig. 2, and since this arm is connected to the steering har, the wheels will be swung to guide the vehicle, with but a slight effort on the part of the driver, and with a great reduction oi strain on the several parts.

n order to cut out the lostmotien between the steering wheel and the post l, the mechanism shown in Figs. 3 and 4 provided or connecting the wheel to the post. In the Ford automobile the upper end of the steering post l is provided with the integral head 2G having lugs QT extending radially 'from the; post at angles ci i200 with respect to eaclrpther. The post is also provided with the axial socket Q8. The huh of the steei'fing wheel 25 engages thisI reduced upper end Q9 ci an extension post 30 the huh is held in place gv a nut th on to they extension post alie/vc the huh. its lowerjlend. the extension po l is with ari/integral head di raving Us In;

The

extending at angies of 120 with respect to each otherfand radiallvvvith respect to they entensionpost@ rl Each'arm 33 1s provided with au open.n lng near its outer end, for receiving an upivardly extending 'pin 34 onthe adjacent armA 27 yof the head26, and the' head is also 'provided with an axial pin 35 for engaging the openingr 28 of the post.` Thus the connection between the steering Wheel and vthe pestis direct instead of indirect, `aiicl the post moves with the Wheel. lt isobvious i that with vthis connection there can be no 'lost motion between the post and the Wheel I claim: i

l. Thecombination with the steering post of an automobile, and the bearingr for the lower end thereof, ci' 'an eccentric' Wheel detachably connected. to the lower end o1" the post to move with thevpost, said Wheel f havingan annular peripheral groove, an el' liptical ,framejinclosing the Wheel' and en'- gaging 1n the groove,- said frame/being sec 'tional to `permitthe l1isert'ion `an l' removal `f the wheel, said frame'haa'firig a bearing lug at one end-ijf its long axis and a steergroove', said frame being sectionalto permit the insertion anal removal of the Wheel, a pivotal connection between lthe iframe at one end of its long axis and the frame of the automobile, said frame having a Steering arm at the other end of the axis for connection with the steering mechanism of the automobile.

3. The combination with the steering post of an automobile, of an eccentric wheelsecured to the lower end thereof and having a peripheral groove, an elliptical frame inclosing the Wheel and' engaging in the groove, a pivotal connection between the frame at one end of its long axis and the frame of the automobile, said frame having a steeringu arm at the other end of the axis for connection with the steering mechanism of the automobile.

fl. rlllie combination. With the steering post" i of an automobile, of an eccentric wheel con-,fl nectecl thereto, a frame having' an ellipticalI opening' in which the Wheel moves, a piv.4

otal connection between one end oit' thel frame at its long' axis and the frame of the automobile, and an arm at the opposite end of the frame for connection with the steerimgw bar of the automobile.

5. The combination with the steering post of a vehicle, of an eccentric wheel secured thereto, a frame having' an approximately elliptical' openingn in which the wheel is movable, said .frame being` pivoted to a fixed support at one enel oif its long' axis and c adapted for connection at the other end With the steering' mechanism of the vehicle.

Nails s. ivnrrsoiki.y

Witnesses A. M. CORNWALL,

JAMES McGniGAN, 

